A recent paper in the European Physical Journal highlights a case in 1967 in which mysterious radio signals were discovered by radio astronomers. The possibility of the signals being of extraterrestrial origins caused the astronomers to seriously consider how they would release the information to the public, or if it would be best to bury the information in fear of the temptation to contact potentially hostile ETs.

In April 2011, funding issues forced the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute to suspend operations at their Allen Telescope Array in Hat Creek, California. This array allows the organization to scan the skies for possible extraterrestrial signals, so shutting ...